Liberals: Take the Limbaugh Challenge

LA Times, 3/29/2009, Andrew Klavan, writing in the opinion column: Liberals who hate Rush Limbaugh -- why don't you actually listen to his show before bashing him?

If you are reading this newspaper, the likelihood is that you agree with the Obama administration’s recent attacks on conservative radio talker Rush Limbaugh. That’s the likelihood; here’s the certainty: You’ve never listened to Rush Limbaugh.

Oh no, you haven’t. Whenever I interrupt a liberal’s anti-Limbaugh rant to point out that the ranter has never actually listened to the man, he always says the same thing: “I’ve heard him!”

On further questioning, it always turns out that by “heard him,” he means he’s heard the selected excerpts spoon-fed him by the distortion-mongers of the mainstream media. These excerpts are specifically designed to accomplish one thing: to make sure you never actually listen to Limbaugh’s show, never actually give him a fair chance to speak his piece to you directly.

Therefore, I am throwing down my gauntlet at your quivering liberal feet. I hereby issue my challenge — the Limbaugh Challenge: Listen to the show. Not for five minutes but for several hours: an hour a day for several days. Consider what he has to say — the real policy material under the jokes and teasing bluster. Do what your intellectual keepers do not want you to do and keep an open mind. Ask yourself: What’s he getting at? Why does he say the things he says? Why do so many people of goodwill — like that nice Mr. Klavan — agree with him?

The mainstream media (a.k.a. the Matrix) don’t want you to listen to Limbaugh because they’re afraid he’ll wake you up and set you free of their worldview. You don’t want to listen to him because you’re afraid of the same thing.

Don’t believe me? Well, then, gird your loins. Gather your courage. Accept the Limbaugh Challenge. See what happens.

I dare you.

Andrew Klavan is a contributing editor to City Journal. His novel for young adults, "The Last Thing I Remember," will be published next month by Thomas Nelson.

Next week:
Hear from liberals who took the bait.

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Michael Reagan has it exactly right!

This Tiger Is Not Dead
By Michael Reagan
March 7, 2009

There's an old adage that explains that one does not shoot arrows at dead tigers. If there is a fusillade of arrows flying in the direction of a tiger you can be sure of two things: the beast is very much alive and is seen as a dangerous threat to the people manning the bows.

We are now watching this played out in the current scandal of a White House expending energy -- better spent on reviving the economy -- on an all-out and not-so-covert attack on a single talk-show radio host, Rush Limbaugh.

This should come as no surprise. President Obama opened the campaign against Rush by advising Republicans to pay no heed to anything Limbaugh tells them. Earlier, there were those veiled threats to silence Rush and all conservatives talk show hosts by reviving not the economy, but the so-called fairness doctrine that would effectively silence conservative voice heard on the airwaves.

Aping the techniques of Adolf Hitler propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels, the president and his henchmen in the innards of the White House sought to divert the public's attention from their already massive spending programs, and the threat they pose to future generations, by pointing fingers at straw men.

As Hitler blamed Germany's Jews for the fatherland's problems, Obama first blamed Wall Street and faceless bankers, and when that failed to work took aim at his conservative critics, and then personalized the attack by targeting Rush Limbaugh as the focus of all that is wrong with the GOP.

Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele unwittingly obliged by mildly slandering Rush, giving the White House a chance to come out in the open with their vendetta against Limbaugh.

That's what the whole thing is about. The attack on Rush is the opening gun in an all-out war on conservative talk-show hosts and any conservative critics. In the absence of any meaningful media surveillance, they are the public's only source of negative information on just what's going on in the administration as it marches the nation towards a Marxist future.

Why, you might ask, are they spending so much effort in attacking one talk-show host? To get the answer you need only listen to what Rush told the Conservative Political Action Conference. In a robust rallying cry to a seemingly listless conservative Republican party, Rush told the nation what is terribly wrong about the Obama agenda, and advised conservatives to get off their haunches and fight against what amounts to a march towards a socialist America.

Truth is the Obama Democrats' worst enemy, and Rush told America the truth. He had the largely youthful audience on their feet time and again and he sent them home burning with ambition to join him in the battle to save America.

Listen to what he said on his show just the other day and you'll understand why Rush scares the pants off Barack Obama and his motley crew of character assassins and covert Marxists.

In his broadcast Rush challenged Obama to a debate, saying "Let's talk about the New Deal versus Reaganomics. Let's talk about closing Guantanamo Bay, and let's talk about sending $900 million to Hamas. Let's talk about illegal immigration and the lawlessness on the borders.

"Let's talk about massive deficits and the destroying of opportunities of future generations. Let's talk about ACORN, community agitators, and the unions that represent the government employees which pour millions of dollars into your campaign, President Obama. Let's talk about your elimination of school choice for minority students in the District of Columbia.

"Let's talk about your efforts to further reduce domestic drilling and refining of oil. Let's talk about your stock market...."

That's why the arrows are flying at a tiger who is very much alive. The White House believes he must be silenced. And that's just for starters.

---

Mike Reagan, the elder son of the late President Ronald Reagan, is heard on radio stations nationally as part of American Family Radio (www.afr.net). Look for Mike's newest book, "Twice Adopted" and other info at www.Reagan.com. E-mail comments to Reagan@caglecartoons.com.

©2009 Mike Reagan
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Dick Armey: Rush Is Right About Obama

NEWSMAX, 3/6/09 - Former House Majority leader Dick Armey told Newsmax in an exclusive interview Friday that he joins talk radio host Rush Limbaugh in hoping that President Obama’s efforts to impose a "nanny state" agenda on America will fail. He also gives his take on GOP chances in 2010... Read More......

Jindal glad Steele apologized to Rush

NEWSMAX 3/3/2009 - Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal called Rush Limbaugh an important leader of the conservative movement Monday night and said he was glad that Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele had apologized for describing Limbaugh’s show as “ugly” and ‘incendiary.” But he also described Steele as a “breath of fresh air” for the Republican Party. Read More......

Limbaugh Rallies Conservatives at CPAC

FOXnews.com, 2/28/2009 - On the the final day of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC 2009), headliner, Rush Limbaugh, was greeted with an immense ovation. Limbaugh rallied conservatives to 'fight Democrats,' and find 'Right candidates.' Limbaugh referred to President Obama as one of the most gifted men he had ever witnessed. "He has extraordinary talent," but, he added, "It just breaks my heart that he has not used that extraordinary talent and gift to motivate and inspire the American people to be the best that they can be. He's doing just the opposite."

Limbaugh didn't hold back for most of the rest of his speech in skewering liberals, Democrats and the new president on a wide ranges of issues, including Obama's massively costly stimulus package and budget plan. "It's not new. It's not change. And it's not hope," he said. Obama is still in the "honeymoon phase," Limbaugh said, but conservatives shouldn't get discouraged. "We are not quitting. We are not giving up," he said. "The country is too important."

The CPAC non-binding straw poll results (for 2012) were; 1) Mitt Romney, 2) Bobby Jindal, 3&4) Ron Paul and Sarah Palin.

Added 3/1/2009:
- Video clips of "Rush Limbaugh's 'First Ever Address to the Nation" from CPA at Newsbusters.org...
- Transcript of Rush Limbaugh's Address at CPAC is online at FOXnews.com. Read More......